The Western Cape Minister of Transport and Public Works Robin Carlisle is shocked by the death of Ms Ntombeskolo Mafentile who was stabbed to death at the Muldersvlei train station yesterday. The MEC has expressed his condolences to the family of Ms Mafentile.
MEC Carlisle said that the spate of criminal activities in and around train stations underscores the unsafe nature of travelling by train.
"This tragedy emphasises the point I have been making for a while that travelling by train is simply not safe enough. We cannot encourage the public to switch from roads to rail when people lose their lives in trains."
The MEC will meet with Metrorail and law enforcement authorities to pursue innovative measures to bolster the safety of commuters. "We need to prevent people in possession of weapons from entering train stations and travelling on trains. One way of doing of this would be the use of metal detectors at all entrances at train stations and for Metrorail private security officials to conduct random checks for weapons in trains."
The MEC reaffirmed his commitment for improving safety on trains: "Taking to commuters on my train trips, it is clear that rail safety continues to be major problem, both at stations and even in trains."
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